Vo-tech Tables Administrative Wage Proposals Hikes Approved For Aides

The Eastern Northampton County Vocational-Technical School Operating Committee tabled action last week on proposed administrative salaries while approving proposed support staff salaries.

Among the 1985-1986 salaries tabled were those of the vo-tech school director James Bell, and business manager Barry Smith, who also receives a salary as operating committee secretary. Also tabled was the salary for the supervisor of pupil personnel services, Nicholas Pallotto. Another matter tabled was whether to increase paid vacation for the school business manager.

The board voted down a motion that would provide school administrators and support staff with a $27.40 per person provision for vision care. The provision would have been similar to one granted vo-tech teachers in the 1984-1985 contract. The motion failed on a 3 to 4 vote.

They approved a 40-cent an hour across the board increase to custodians and a 32-cent an hour increase to teacher aides. Secretary/clerical workers received an annual increase of $607. The salary increases were based upon the weighted average increases received by comparable staff in the sending districts - Bangor, Pen Argyl, Nazareth, Wilson and Easton.

In a separate action, the board approved a 3.37 percent increase for the administrative secretary. The annual dollar amount equaled the $607 annual increase given other secretarial workers.

The head custodian was given a 5 percent salary increase, amounting to $966 annually. The first aid/safety officer received a 5 percent increase as did the data coordinator. Their annual salary increases amounted to $587 and $1,033 respectively.

Vo-tech teachers are still negotiating their 1985-1986 school year contract. They are currently working under an extension of last year's contract.

Following Thursday night's meeting, Bangor School Superintendent Dr. Wilford L. Ottey, who is this year's vo-tech school administrator, and vo-tech school director James Bell, said the teacher contract negotiations had nothing to do with the administrative salaries being tabled. Bell said, "They just can't agree on what to pay us."

Ottey, referring to the teacher negotiations, said the board found it difficult to vote on teacher salaries while they were unsure what teachers in their home districts would receive.

He said that with teacher contracts settled in four of the five sending districts it should be easier to settle a contract with the vo-tech teachers.

Both the salaries approved and the proposed administrative salaries that were tabled were voted upon without publicly specifying dollar amounts.

Each member of the board was provided with a report addressed to the "salary committee" from Bell. The report, dated Aug. 8, itemized the support staff and administrative salary proposals with percent increases and dollar amounts.

Apparently the report was supposed to have been presented during last month's operating committee meeting which was canceled for lack of a quorum.

Although copies were available to board members, it was not included in the September information packet that is available to the press and public attending the meeting. The packet normally itemizes in detail every item the board votes on during the evening.

The information was not provided until a Morning Call reporter demanded it after the meeting. At that time, all of the information pertaining to the approved support staff salaries were provided. The proposed administrative salary figures were denied.

Members of the operating committee, Ottey and Bell said that since action on the salaries was tabled the matter was still being negotiated and they were not required to provide the information. Bell remarked, "You'll get the salaries when action is taken on them."

Dorothy Gollub of the Easton school district remarked after the meeting that the way it was conducted was "rotten" but she also refused to provide the information.

Gollub and Charles Palmieri and James Spagnola, also of the Easton school district, claimed after the meeting they voted to table action on the salaries because they had not seen Bell's salary proposals until that day.

When asked why that was not stated during the public meeting, Gollub said the matter had been argued for over an hour during a workshop session prior to the business portion of the meeting. She said the board was tired of discussing the matter that night.

During the meeting there was an attempt by Harold Swisher of Bangor to get the administrative salaries approved by placing a motion on the floor to approve the entire document. Palmieri and Gollub called for the items to be voted upon individually.

Although there was very little said about specific objections to Bell's administrative salary proposals, matters dealt with in previous meetings may have an effect on the current situation.

On May 9, when the 1985-1986 school year budget was approved, the supervisor of pupil personnel services position held by Pallotto was eliminated and he was demoted to a full-time guidance counselor.